Here’s what people are saying about the Surface Duo before this week’s release

The Surface Duo is coming on September 10, which is now less than two days away. In the leadup to the release, there’s been a lot of interest in Microsoft’s dual-screen foldable, especially on Reddit.  Just like ourselves, many people have gone hands-on with Duo Display units at either BestBuy or AT&T Stores. There have been some interesting reactions, too, with one person doing an “unauthorized review” based on some impressions from a coworker he said has used the Duo in his life.

So, here is a look at some impressions, and what people are saying about the Duo before this week’s release.

An “Unauthorized early Duo Review”

First up on our list is an “unauthorized” review of sorts from a Reddit user who claims to be the coworker of someone working for a research analyst firm that works with Microsoft on its mobile strategy. Of course, we can’t verify this, and the post has since been deleted, but not before it was cached on Google, as seen from the link in the heading above.

This is perhaps the most interesting of the impressions, as the author of the post claimed to know someone who used the Duo for a while in his life. Again, this person supposedly used a Duo personally, rather than just spend a few minutes with it at BestBuy or AT&T.

From this post, a couple of interesting points can be gathered. First off, there’s how the overall build quality seemed impressive, and how the person didn’t seem bothered by the bezels. Secondly, the person also finds that the two screens on the Duo changed how the device was used for him. Finally, the overall performance was also great for this person.

Then, there are the cons. According to the Redditor, his coworker told him battery life isn’t great, and the camera is bad on the Duo. There’s also the “wonky” OS too, as is the way the person tried to multitask. Sadly, though, according to this Redditor, it also seems like the person with the Duo went back to a Note 10 for now. That’s mainly due to “early software wonkiness” and “the camera can’t be saved.”

Again, take this with a fine grain of salt, though. We can’t verify the authenticity of this post, and the fact that it was deleted adds to that mix. But, the post has been popular on Reddit, which is why we’re sharing it.

Tech writer who chooses the Duo over the Galaxy Z Fold 2

Second on our list is not really an impressions post, but rather a comparison to Samsung’s foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 2. This post has been trending on the dedicated Surface Duo Subreddit, and a lot of people believe it captures the way Microsoft fans feel when asked about how the Duo compares to Samsung’s latest phone.

Authored by Kevin C Tofel, a self-proclaimed Freelance Futurist, this blog post really dives into the reason why the Duo is better than the Z Fold 2 in his view. According to Tofel, he cares less about specs, but rather user experience. He finds that his Pixel 4 has the same specs as the Duo and can meet his expectations, so the Duo can too.

He also mentions that the way multitasking works on the Duo is better than the Fold because none of the apps when splitting on the Fold are full size. “Because the Surface Duo has two independent displays that work together with optimized apps, I will have a full-sized multi-app experience,” said Tofel.

To end his post, Tofel makes a good point on why his perspective should be trusted. Although he’s been burned with buying and reviewing other Microsoft products before, he mentions an important point. That is, although Microsoft won’t sell millions of the Duo, it is a little different and is worth taking the risk on. “Although it does run some Microsoft software. It’s built on Android and Android isn’t going away anytime soon. So I’ll take my chances” said Tofel.

Someone with issues with figuring out the “swipes”

Next on our list is an impression post is a post from someone who seemed bothered by the way the “swiping” works on the Duo. This person tried the Duo at a Best Buy and says that moving from a Note10+ he’s not a fan of the way the Duo works and with the overall UI. According to him, he’s not a fan of pages and pages of apps and is worried about using his own launcher app on the Duo.

He also finds an issue with figuring out the swipe motions, though there weren’t any stutters or weirdness in the software. Long behold, though, he did like the overall hardware, much like everyone else. “It’s wicked thin,” “The hinges move like “Buttah,” “It’s a solid piece of kit,” are just a few remarks the user had about the Duo.

Of course, this one experience doesn’t speak for everyone, but we still think it’s worth mentioning. How will third party launchers work on the Duo? Will users be able to adapt to the way you span and split apps? This Redditor brings up some really great points.

Excited for the Duo? Join the discussion

This is just a small look at what people are saying about the Surface Duo. If you’re looking to read other people’s thoughts about the Duo, you can head over to the Surface and Surface Duo Subreddits. These communities are a great forum of discussion where you’ll be able to chat with like-minded individuals and fellow Microsoft fans.

We’ve pre-ordered our own Surface Duo and will be doing our unboxing and impressions post this week. Keep tuned to OnMSFT, and let us know if you have any Surface Duo questions for us by dropping us a comment below. We’ll be doing our best to answer them for you during our next OnMSFT Podcast!